Christian Rolan C.
Laurden, and Maria Danesa S. Rabia, from
the different institute of the Philippines. wrote a research article
about, Napoleon Wrasse Production and Trade: Insights from Bohol, Philippines. entitled,
Production and trade of Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) in selected
Municipalities of Bohol, Philippines. This research paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences (IJB). an open access scholarly research journal on Biology, under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural
Sciences | INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal
publisher.
Abstract
Market survey of
Napoleon wrasse is needed to gather and analyze the data of this species in the
market. Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) locally known as “Mameng” is
a small but significant component in fish trading. This study was conducted to
determine the prevalence of Napoleon wrasse trading through market surveys in
the selected municipalities of Bohol namely the municipality of Calape, Getafe,
and Tubigon, as basis for conservation measures. Descriptive survey method was
used in the study. A one month survey was done to the three municipalities,
where the survey took place only every market days. Results showed that the
volume of production of Napoleon wrasse in the three municipalities was very
low, where the total volume of production of Napoleon wrasse during the one
month survey was 1kg in the municipality of Calape, 3.5kg in the municipality
of Getafe, and 7kg in the municipality of Tubigon. Most of the fish vendors in
the three selected municipalities of Bohol can rarely sell Napoleon wrasse. The
volume of consumption of Napoleon wrasse in the three municipalities during the
one month survey was relatively high where all of the Napoleon wrasse the fish
vendors were selling was sold and sought by buyers. The volume of production of
Napoleon wrasse in the three selected municipalities of Bohol was very low due
its rarity resulting to its high demand and consumption rate. Among of the
three municipalities, only the municipality of Getafe had been identified to
have the prevalence of Napoleon wrasse trading.
Introduction
The Napoleon wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus), locally known as “Mameng”, is one of the largest of all
reef fishes and the biggest of the wrasse family, the Labridae. It can reach
well over two meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight. This species is
considered a gourmet food fish and is appreciated for the fine taste and
texture of its flesh and it has become a small but significant component of the
live reef food fish trade for it is one of the most highly valued species in
the trade (Sadovy et al., 2003)
Napoleon wrasse has
thick lips and a prominent bulbous hump on the forehead. The juveniles of this species
can be identified by their pale greenish color and two black lines running
behind the eye. Napoleon wrasse lives on lagoon reefs and steep outer reef
slopes at depths of 1 to 60 meters, temperature of 25.71 to 28.98 and salinity
of 34.38 to 35.31 ppt. Its primary foods are mollusks, fishes, sea urchins,
crustaceans and other invertebrates. Napoleon wrasse is one of the few
predators of toxic animals such as sea hares, box fishes and crown-of-thorns
Starfish (Randall, Allen and Steen 1990). The longevity of this species is up
to at least 32 years and sexual maturity is reached at about eight years of
age, meaning they are extremely slow are extremely slow hermaphrodites, which
means they can start their life as a female and then change to the male, with
sex reversal occurring at about 15 years of age.
Because of its high
value as food, it is heavily sought by fishers and traders. There is now a
considerable concern that this widespread but uncommon species is being
threatened that cause decline of its number because of the growing demand of
this species in the live reef food fish trade. International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stated that the Napoleon wrasse is primarily
taken for export as part of the valuable live reef food fish trade which is
centered in Southeast Asia especially from Indonesia, Malaysia, and including
the Philippines. As part of the live food fish market of these countries,
Napoleon wrasse value is likely to increase with rarity, so fishers will
continue to fish this species even as its numbers decline. Buyers of this fish
also continually have to source new areas as numbers of this species decline in
the particular area where they can buy this Napoleon fish. The rampant trading
of Napoleon wrasse was happening elsewhere, so there is a need of conducting a
research study regarding on the prevalence of Napoleon wrasse trading in the
three municipalities of Calape, Getafe, and Tubigon through market surveys. A
market survey is a process of gathering and analyzing data of a certain product
in the market.
To gather and analyze
data of Napoleon wrasse in the market, a market survey was conducted in order
to better understand the status of this species in the market. There are no
data on total numbers of this fish globally. However, adults reef area within
its distribution and even in preferred habitats; densities are very low for a
commercially exploited species (rarely > 10 fish per 10,000 square meter
when not fished). It is considered uncommon to rare naturally. Nothing is known
about the extent of subpopulations or degree of fragmentation but available
suitable habitat is a major determinant of its distribution.
Moreover, Napoleon
wrasse trade in Malaysia and found that there is extensive, illegal, unrecorded
and unmonitored Napoleon wrasse trading occurring between Malaysia and the
Philippines. They found that although the Philippines banned the export of all
live fish, “the government of Malaysia is aware and has admitted that most of
the Napoleon wrasse stock exported from Sabah in Malaysia is caught in the
Philippines. There appears to be no monitoring or records kept of the trade of
Napoleon wrasse between the Philippines and Sabah. The Napoleon wrasse’s
inclusion in the list of Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) Appendix II in the year 2004, with the listing, international
trade is only permitted if the export will not be detrimental to the survival
of the species in the wild has been unsuccessful in protecting the species from
further decline. For example, the wrasse trade in the Malaysia is regulated, in
part, by CITES and pursuant to this convention. CITES permits are required
before one can export wrasse. Chen and Justin found that prior to 2007 there
was only one record of an export of two live wrasse (Chen and Justin, 2009.
In Philippines, exports
of the Napoleon wrasse are prohibited throughout the country. Until recently,
the Napoleon wrasse could not be exported from Palawan with an exemption for
the taking of small fish for mariculture (Philippines Fisheries Code, 1998).
Fishing through
explosives noxious or poisonous substance, and / or electricity its shall be
unlawful for any person to catch, take or gather or cause to be caught, taken
or gathered, fish or any fishery species in Philippines waters with the use of
electricity, explosives, noxious or poisonous substance such as sodium cyanide
in the Philippines fishery areas which will kill, stupefy, disable or render
unconscious fish or fishery species. Provided, that the Department, subject to
such safeguards and conditions deemed necessary and endorsement from the
concerned LGU’s may allow, for research, educational or scientific purposes
only, take or gather fish or fishery species. Provide, further, that the use of
poisonous or noxious substance to eradicate predators in fishponds in
accordance with accepted scientific practices and grounds shall not be
construed as illegal fishing (Philippine Fisheries Code, Section 88).
Market survey on
Napoleon wrasse is described as the systematic and objective identification,
collection analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of
assisting management in decision making related to the identification and
solution of the problems pertaining to this species. That is, to provide management
with relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information.
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Source : Production and trade of Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) in selected Municipalities of Bohol, Philippines
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